Facing an impending $8.6 million in cuts to UW-Eau Claire, budget concerns and experience are the biggest issues to consider when voting in the Student Senate elections April 13-15. All three presidential tickets on the ballot have strong qualifications and if elected, will work to improve student-senator and student-administration relations.

However, The Spectator editorial staff has decided to endorse Michael Umhoefer and Amber Bretl for president and vice president of the student body, respectively.

The Aaron Brewster-Armon Tabrizi ticket showed strong ambitions and experience with state politicians, and are clearly passionate about student issues. Their idea of following up implementation of Senate resolutions is especially enticing. However, they lack experience dealing with the university administration and their personal political views could potentially alienate a portion of the student body.

Likewise, the Adam Sorelle-Casey Driscoll ticket displayed strong fiscal knowledge and grassroots ability to connect with the student body. But the administration might not take the duo as seriously as they should, given Driscoll’s past endeavors as the Momentum Monday Man and unofficial mascot of the university, even though his intentions are good.

Umhoefer and Bretl have been in influential Student Senate positions. They already have experience dealing with state and university administrators, which is necessary given the current budget situations. With that being said, any ticket has their weaknesses.

In the case of Umhoefer and Bretl, The Spectator staff felt that they could be seen as “business as usual” candidates, and need to work to reconnect students to their government. They have admitted to differences in fiscal beliefs, but this could serve as a good check.

This division could potentially work against them though, and Umhoefer and Bretl will have to find a middle ground so it doesn’t turn into a roadblock that hurts student interests.

They will need to utilize their platform idea of student opinion polls on the Eau Claire Web site, as well as grassroots techniques, to prove that Senate isn’t just the administration’s rubber stamp.

Whoever is elected needs to increase student involvement in Senate while making the best fiscal decisions for the student body. Umhoefer and Bretl have proven they have developed relationships that should allow them to fight the hardest for the students they represent.